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First published online March 12, 2009
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 895-900 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.024521
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The learning and maintenance of local vectors in desert ant navigation

Matthew Collett1,* and Thomas S. Collett2

1 Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
2 School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK


Figure 1
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  		Fig. 1. Plan of the experimental area. The training route leads from the nest (N), 6 m along an open channel to the exit ramp (T), and then 6 m over open ground to a feeder (F) marked by a small cylinder (circle). There are two bushes (B1 and B2) 20–30 m to the left of the route. Initial test conditions used a release site 4 m along the channel (R1), with the exit ramp placed 10 m along the extended channel (E). Final test conditions used a parallel test channel with release site (R2) and exit (P). Scale and arrow indicating north are shown in the lower left corner.

 

Figure 2
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  		Fig. 2. Trajectories from the training 6 m channel position. (A) Configuration during training. Feeder landmark shown in outline indicates that it was removed in the test condition. (B) The forager trajectories along the trained route after 3 days of training. (C) The trajectories with the feeder landmark removed. Grid lines are spaced at 1 m. Circles show the mean endpoints of the straight segments, and crosses show the standard errors. (D) Histogram of directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in B. (E) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in C. Direction was measured in degrees clockwise from the direct path from channel exit to feeder.

 

Figure 3
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  		Fig. 3. Trajectories from the extended 10 m channel. (A) Configuration during tests. Do ants follow a route-based memory, or do they travel back towards the location of the feeder? (B) Trajectories after foragers are carried 4 m so that their PI state on leaving the channel is as in training. Truncated at the beginning of search. (C) Trajectories after the foragers have walked the entire 10 m along the channel. Truncated at the beginning of search. Grid lines are spaced at 1 m. (D) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in B. (E) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in C.

 

Figure 4
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  		Fig. 4. Trajectories in the training configuration after the closer bush had been removed. The feeder landmark was temporarily removed during the tests. (A) Configuration during tests. (B) Trajectories within an hour of the removal of the bushes. (C) Trajectories 3 days after the bushes were removed. Grid lines are spaced at 1 m. (D) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in B. (E) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in C.

 

Figure 5
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  		Fig. 5. Trajectories after training with the replacement bushes. (A) Configuration during tests. The bushes and the feeder landmark were removed during testing. (B) Trajectories from the 6 m training position. (C) Trajectories after ants walked 4 m along the parallel test channel. Grid lines are spaced at 1 m. (D) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in B. (E) Directions over the first 2 m of trajectories in C.

 

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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2009